The present invention relates to trim elements for aircraft and, in particular, to a right-angle-shaped plate to be attached or built into the fuselage of an aircraft, particularly at the rear of a stabilizer channel.
In certain types of light aircraft, such as, for example, Beechcraft Bonanzas, the design of the craft calls for stabilizers at the rear of the craft which are inclined upwardly from both sides at an angle to the horizontal. This is in contrast with more conventional construction of this portion of aircraft in which one vertical and two horizontal stabilizers are provided.
Although the Bonanza is a well-designed, high-performance aircraft, attitude instability and a certain tendency to spiral divergence are characteristics of this design, due in part to the V-shaped configuration of the rear stabilizers. Pilots encounter problems in maintaining the aircraft level in cruising situations and significant rudder control requirements at takeoff and landing. Aircraft of this design configuration are known to be demanding to fly and unforgiving of pilot mistakes.
Because the plane has a tendency to fall off to the left and enter a divergent spiral, constant pilot diligence is required to monitor the plane's attitude in flight. It is believed that spiral divergence tendency, coupled with the plane's ability to gain speed very rapidly, sometimes results in "panic" application of control functions by pilots at high speed, which stresses the structural capability of the craft beyond its design limits and can cause wing or tail structures to crack and/or break away.